Hope

You've probably experienced that feeling -- you know, the one where you feel as if you've known someone forever despite the fact that you just met? I felt the exact same thing with you, kid. From the first time we introduced ourselves to each other all the way to now, in three short weeks, I've made myself a great new friend, but more than that, you genuinely give me hope because I'm pretty sure you don't realize just exactly how lucky you are.

I wish I could be going through what you're going through, the whole first year of excitedness and independent trial-and-error sans Mom and Dad. I wish I could be making giant mistakes, I wish I were learning everything about everything else all over again. I wish so desperately I could turn back time and not fuck up, but I can't. And this is why I'm partly jealous of your circumstance. But this is what gives me hope.

Seeing this happen makes me so happy.

Seeing that you are innately a good person, that you don't take shit, speaks volumes. You are constantly reassuring me that you know better, and that you're not going to fuck up nearly as badly as I did.

You're like my little brother, and I love you for it, because you deal with the rest of the shit I bring with the job. You understand what it is I'm talking about but at the same time have absolutely no clue because you've never experienced it before.

You are an outstanding listener, a great conversationalist, and an even more amazing person.

And you, you give me hope that I can be a better person too.

It's how we roll.